Exercise Buddies
by Kalira69
Summary: The newest members of the family settle in with existing workout routines. (Domestic AU.) Cats & Dogs, Living Together, #3
1. Kuro and Shiro

"Shiro, honey, have you seen-" Keith looked up from the specs he was reading as he walked and fell silent. "Oh, fuck me, that's adorable."

Shiro looked up at him, eyes wide. "What are you looking for?"

Keith shook his head, putting the file down and approaching his lover. Shiro was midway through one of his Tai Chi forms, or so Keith guessed - it wasn't his thing, although Shiro seemed to find it relaxing - legs bent and arms raised in a graceful frame with his hands held flat and pressing outwards.

That was familiar enough, and while it was well worth appreciating - Keith had never tired of watching his lover move, and he didn't anticipate he ever would - it wasn't what had brought him to a stop.

Kuro was curled on one of Shiro's shoulders, head propped against his ear and tail curling around his shoulder and bicep.

"Keith?" Shiro asked, rising slowly from his crouch.

"No, it's okay." Keith said quickly, putting a hand out and gently pressing down on Shiro's unoccupied shoulder. "You're just . . . adorable. The two of you." he specified, and ran a finger down Kuro's back from the top of his head.

He purred, lifting his head and opening his eyes - still the same soft blue-grey they had been when Shiro brought him home, all kitten-fluff and smooshy, not-quite-paw-shaped paws, though they'd expected the colour to change still. Keith rubbed behind one of his tiny ears and he mewed, shifting slightly, toes flexing and unsheathing his claws briefly, before resting his head against Shiro's jaw.

"He jumped up when I was stretching and he seemed so comfortable. . ." Shiro blushed faintly. "I didn't want to push him down."

Keith stroked Shiro's cheek, dipping his head and kissing his lover lightly. "Of course you didn't." he murmured against Shiro's mouth, a smile tugging at his lips. "Does he do this often?" he asked, because he thought both Shiro and Kuro looked a little . . . _too_ comfortable for this to be really new.

"He likes being on my shoulders." Shiro said instead of a real answer. He coughed quietly.

Keith hid a smile, brushing his fingertips over Shiro's cheek. "Mm, I knew that." he reminded as he stepped back. Kuro liked shoulders in general and often tried to perch on Keith or Shiro if he could claw his way up their bodies; he had since Shiro first brought him home, tiny and clumsy. "I didn't know you could get through your forms with him up there, though."

"Well, I have to alter some of it." Shiro admitted, meeting Keith's eyes fully again. "Or he starts to slip. It's all right, though."

Keith nodded, smiling fondly. He didn't say anything, because he wasn't sure he could hold off making an embarrassing noise over Shiro and their kitten if he did. He scritched under Kuro's chin, and the surprisingly loud kitten purr started up again.

"I'll leave you two to it." Keith said as he lowered his hand - Kuro nearly toppled off Shiro's shoulder trying to lean into it as he withdrew, and Keith hid a laugh.

"What were you looking for, baby?" Shiro asked, though he was already bringing his hands back up into the positions he'd abandoned.

"The miniature mock-up of the prototype Tim sent me." Keith supplied, collecting his file again. "Something seems off in these numbers." He frowned at them.

"Little blue hovercraft? I saw it on the dining room table, I think." Shiro offered distractedly, his eyes shifting into the odd not-focus they showed during his practise.

Keith headed that way, pausing in the doorway to appreciate Shiro's body as he bent and twisted. Kuro remained perched contentedly - without too much difficulty - on his broad shoulder through the slow, precise movements.

Keith smiled at them, absently reaching down to scritch behind Bopul's ears when he felt the hopeful nudge of a fluffy muzzle just above his knee.

* * *

Like Keith, tai chi is not my thing, so please excuse my vagueness. It's been a long time since I had a friend whose thing it _was_ and my memory's spotty.

(My kitten outgrew her lovely blue-grey eyes - they're now two-toned gold and green, and still quite pretty, but I decided Kuro may wind up keeping his blue eyes permanently.)


	2. Bopul and Keith

"What is it?"

"Uh. Nothing." Shiro said, biting his lip. Lance slipped around him and braced a hand on the doorframe, arm blocking his way.

"Shiro, you're kind of freaking out, man. What is it?" Lance asked, dipping his head and raising his eyebrows. "Come on, tell me. . ."

"I-" Shiro rubbed his face. "I'm trying to find the dog."

"The dog." Lance frowned as he pulled back, letting Shiro step out into the back yard again. Not that he thought Bopul would have materialised there in the last five minutes, but he had run out of places to look. "Wait, you mean your huge white fluff-monster dog? How do you _lose_ a puppy that size? . . .wait doesn't he come when he's called?"

" _Yes_ , but he's _not_ , and I can't find him, and-"

"Hey honey, I'm back!" Keith called, the front door slamming behind him.

 _I cannot tell my lover I've lost our dog._ Shiro thought, slightly mad, although his brain wasn't coming up with any brilliant ideas on how to find Bopul any more _now_ than it had been fifteen minutes ago.

"Any thoughts?" Lance asked helpfully. "Or do you want me to go and distract Keith?" He looked gleeful, and Shiro was faintly alarmed by that idea, or more, what Lance might decide to do in the name of 'distracting Keith'. He grabbed Lance's arm, stopping him in case he decided to shoot off on his own.

"No! No, thanks, I-" Shiro stopped. _I am an adult, I can tell Keith that-_

"You okay honey?" Keith asked as he joined them on the deck, brushing a kiss to Shiro's cheek. "Oh, hey Lance." he added as he stepped back, pushing a bit of his sweat-sodden fringe out of his eyes.

"Keith." Lance dipped his head, trying, it seemed, to look aloof. It cracked after a moment. "Congratulations on being chosen for the Charon project."

"You too." Keith said with a half-smile. "Think we can work together?" he asked, eyebrow arching.

Bopul sprawled over the deck at their feet, and Shiro stared at him. "Where _were_ you?" he demanded of the puppy.

"He went on my run with me." Keith said with a shrug. "He whined until I took him along. You okay honey?"

". . .does he do that often?" Shiro asked, covering his mouth and nose with one hand.

"He likes it." Keith knelt, rubbing Bopul's ears. "Don't you?" Bopul was panting, but he was also grinning, and he leaned up and licked Keith's cheek. "I don't know, he started doing it more often a week or two ago. I thought you'd realised he was coming with me. It wears out some of that puppy energy, too."

Shiro felt foolish, watching Keith grab one of Bopul's paws. He flopped over onto his back, letting Keith have it. The movement tipped him over on top of Shiro's feet. "No, I hadn't, I'm sorry." Shiro flushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I, er, thought he'd gotten lost." he admitted.

" _Oh._ I'm sorry." Keith looked surprised, glancing up at him with one hand buried in Bopul's belly fur. "It didn't occur to me to mention it to you specifically that I was taking him."

"Going to be hard on him once we get into summer, isn't it?" Lance asked, dropping down to sit cross-legged near them, holding out a hand hopefully. Bopul was a friendly dog and Lance was semi-familiar, and he shoved his head into the offered petting happily.

Keith frowned. "Probably. His coat's kind of thick for our area anyway." he shrugged. "I guess we'll see how he handles it. He spends a lot of his time inside with us anyway."

"You might have to shave his coat when it gets hotter?" Lance suggested, ruffling the thick fur in both hands. "It looks like wearing a wool coat in the summer sun. Ick."

Shiro shook his head, kneeling beside them. "The vet says never to shave him." he said, frowning slightly. "He's mostly Great Pyrenees, whatever else is in there," he lightly tugged Bopul's tail, "and his coat protects him from the sun and helps insulate him in the heat, too. In theory."

"Hopefully." Keith said wryly. "At least there's shade out here, and he doesn't mind being cooped up inside while we're at work if he needs to be kept out of the heat."

* * *

As far as I am aware this about not ever shaving Pyrs is true. I've known several people who had them, as well, and with some precautions the dogs survived our summers here (over 100°F temps not uncommon) without seeming too miserable.


End file.
